Thanks to ColorBURN productions and Devon Riter for inviting me to participate in this great web series project. The four chapters in the series are part of a media campaign to show future University of Michigan students what is like to be a PIBS students. These promotional documentaries were shot with the Canon 7D and the T2i and EF Canon Lenses.

Thanks to this firmware update we’ll be able to set the levels of the XLR inputs 1 and 2 individually. So far we had used a 10dB atenuator to be able to run a ‘hot’ and a ‘cold’ channel. Follow this link to go to the download page. The ZOOM H4n is finally a great digital audio recorder for DSLR filmmakers.

The BBC is selling it’s nature sound effects. It consists of 18,368 .wav files classified into 70 different categories. If you buy it you’ll get a PC and Mac compatible 500GB LaCie external hard drive with and eSata, firewire 800, 400 and USB 2,0.

Canon officially announced their new DSLR, the Canon 60D. An advanced consumer camera for those ready to take their photo skills to a new level. Click here to read the official press release from Canon. Read below for a summary.

In the video mode, manual controls for exposure as well as manually adjustable audio levels.

Canon 60D

The Price

A body-only configuration has an estimated retail price of $1,099. A kit version with Canon’s EF-S 18-135mm zoom will be around $1,399. It is supposed to be in the US by the end of September 2010.

My Opinion

The Canon 60D seems to be the camera for DSLR advanced consumer photographers that already have some experience with older and less advanced Canon models (Rebels, 20D, 30D, 40D and 50D).

While affordable, the 60D offers useful semi-professional settings like the 18MP sensor and the HD video capabilities with variable frame rates. Personally, the in-camera RAW image post-processing is one of the most interesting features for advanced amateur photographers looking forward to speed up their work-flow. The flexible LCD screen is a valuable gimmicky that most photographers and videographers will find useful when shooting at odd angles. The built-in Integrated Speedlite Transmitter to control external flashes will be a great advantage for macro and wedding photographers.

For HDSLR filmmakers this could be the new camera to get since it offers most of the manual controls that we’ve been looking for, most importantly the adjustable audio levels. The value of the in-camera video editing feature is yet to be determined.

Finally, the 60D doesn’t seem to be as rugged as the 7D and its slower shooting burst mode (5.3 vs. 8fps) may be an concern for wildlife and action photographers.